More than four years after the Austin Fire Department fired me as a volunteer chaplain, we have reached a settlement and an important recognition of religious freedom. Chief Joel Baker wrote that the chaplain program I helped create must be “inclusive of all faiths and viewpoints” and respect the “perspectives of everyone involved.”
That must include the chaplains themselves.
Baker’s letter acknowledging the importance of the chaplain program and my service was part of the settlement of my lawsuit. I sued in 2022 after the chief terminated me the previous year for writing a faith-based blog post that had nothing to do with the chaplaincy.
Firefighters and paramedics need spiritual counsel and pastoral care — or, at the very least, a listening ear. First responders face tragedy and death on an almost daily basis. What they see takes such a powerful emotional toll that first responders have a higher suicide rate than the general public. I am grateful to then-Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr for enlisting me in 2013 to provide these professionals with thoughtful, compassionate understanding and consolation.
Unfortunately, Baker and other city officials seemed to expect that a chaplain could renounce the religious convictions that foster that compassion and provide the wisdom that hurting people need.
My conflict with the department arose in 2021 from something I wrote in a personal blog, on my own time, apart from my work as a chaplain. At the time, the issue of transgender athletes was just beginning to garner national attention. I wrote a blog post examining the issue from a historical, social and scriptural perspective, arguing that men and women are biologically different and should not compete on the same teams.
Apparently, some firefighters were offended by what I wrote. I was told that I would have to apologize.
I was willing to explain that my purpose was to foster discussion, not cause offense, and that I was sorry if anyone had been offended. But I was not willing to apologize for or retract my Christian views.
In the end, the city dismissed me from the volunteer role I so dearly loved.
That was a clear assault on my constitutional right to free speech and on my fundamental right to think out, pray through and defend my personal faith convictions. So I went to court, with the help of the Alliance Defending Freedom legal group. In the settlement reached last month, the city agreed to pay $78,000 while admitting no liability.
I take that as a victory. More importantly, I hope this case sets an example for chaplains around the country serving those engaged in the harrowing work of protecting our communities. Perhaps my case can serve as a wake-up call to city and state officials who have somehow convinced themselves that public ministry can be severed from personal faith.
To separate chaplains and ministers from our faith beliefs is no different from separating an ambassador from the nation he serves. It drains us of the convictions we need to do the job and compels us to deny the relationship we draw on for wisdom, guidance and compassion.
So, for the sake of the men and women who so urgently need what chaplains are uniquely positioned to offer, I’m grateful that the city of Austin and its Fire Department officials have agreed to this settlement. I pray that this “new birth of freedom” will enable our chaplains to minister more effectively for the good of our first responders — and for the communities that depend so much on their courage and commitment.
The Rev. Andrew Fox is an Anglican priest working in the Austin area. He has a doctorate in intercultural studies.